Ortho-(hydrocarbylthio)-phenols are useful compounds, e.g. as intermediates in the preparation of hypotensive drugs and agricultural chemicals such as plant protection agents, herbicides, pesticides and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 2,923,743 describes a process for the production of aryl-alkyl thioethers by reacting a dialkyl disulfide with aromatic compounds such as phenol, chlorophenol, p-cresol, 2-naphthol, etc., in the presence of suitable condensation agents, such as for example, aluminum chloride, aluminum bromide, ferric chloride, zinc chloride, tin tetrachloride, antimony pentachloride, boron fluoride and bleaching earth. At Column 1, lines 31-36, that patent discloses:
"These condensation agents can be added in different amounts. In general there should be added at least molecular amounts referred to the dialkyl disulfide but there can be used also higher amounts e.g. a 3-fold surplus of the condensation agent." PA0 o-sec-butylphenol, PA0 2,5-diethylphenol, PA0 o-ethylphenol, PA0 2,4-di-sec-butylphenol, PA0 2,4-dimethylphenol, PA0 2-(.alpha.-methylbenzyl)phenol, PA0 2-cyclohexyl-p-cresol, PA0 2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-cyclohexyl)phenol PA0 2-sec-pentacontylphenol, PA0 2-(.alpha.-methyl-4-dodecylbenzyl)phenol, PA0 2-phenylphenol, PA0 2-(4-tetradecylphenyl)phenol PA0 2-(3,5-di-sec-heptylphenyl)phenol, PA0 2-triacontylphenol, PA0 2-isopropylphenol, PA0 2,4-di-sec-dodecylphenol, and PA0 2-(.alpha.-methyl-4-sec-amylbenzyl)phenol.